Defence Ministry Spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said troopers of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), special operations group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) surrounded Chandergair village in Hajin area of Bandipora district, following information about the presence of terrorists there.

Srinagar: Six terrorists, including the nephew on 26/11 attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday during an encounter. A Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also martyred in the incident.

Security forces cordoned off and launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Five terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter at Hajin," Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said in Srinagar.

An IAF Garud commando was killed and an Army soldier was also injured in the encounter, he said. The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.